The present invention relates to access control to acquire and provide multimedia information offered to a user from a number of digital data sources. The access control method may be used in a multiple user and multi domain environment.
More particularly, the invention relates to which source of information an individual user can and may access through a number of devices like gateways, servers, media controllers and presentation devices like AV systems, remote commanders, cell phones, media players e.g. an IPod and alike. The access is considered to be multilayer access principle through a chain of media devices from the source, via gateways and destination devices up to a personal handheld portable device in front of the user.
Today, home appliances like AV systems and media servers do not operate in a real multiuser environment. Typically a server/disk having folders with music, movies, photos and other digital files may be accessed unconditionally by all users, all having the same priority and access rights. Everybody may access and process all information like edit files, read files, write/create files, delete files and execute files.
This is inconvenient and unacceptable seen from a user's point of view. Sources of information should be protected; the father don't want to share information with the son, e.g. “don't ‘play that movie”, or “don't delete those photos or music files”.